In which division are you planning on competing: fitness, figure, or bodybuilding?
For fitness/figure, in my opinion, 20% is a tad bit high for offseason bodyfat. Most of us aim to stay at or under 15%. (I have never prepped a FBB for a show so I would not be the best person to ask, but there are a lot of knowledgeable people on this board who can help in that area.) Yes, a prep CAN be done starting at 20%, but you will either have to diet longer than the average competitor........or resort to drastic measures to shed bodyfat and most likely sacrifice muscle.
I would suggest consistently utilizing clean carb sources and lean protein year-round in your diet. As for cheats, 1-2 cheat MEALS/week is more reasonable for most serious competitors (rather than 2 days of unbridled eating). Keep the cardio in moderation offseason so you have a variable to increase when your show prep begins. You can slowly reduce your body fat to a more acceptable level with clean, consistent eating and training........and then focus on making improvements. Good luck to you!
